Apparatus for cleaning electrotype-casts and type-forms.



QW M R O F E Dl VI T D N A S Tl S ,M S M LIL AY .Lm H R .I WC E IL CE -G EN N A E L C R 0 F s U T A un A P P II A APPLICATION FILED JAN 23. 1913.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.v 3 SHEETS-SHEET I E. C. WILLIAMS. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ELECTROTYPE CASTS AND TYPE FORMS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 23. 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

QQ QQ Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Mama? ze? l EI C. WILLIAMS.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ELECTROTYPE CASTS AND TYPE FORMS. APPLICATION HLED JAN. 23. 1913.

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PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

preliminary to use.

.section on the line H of EDWARD C. WILLIAMS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A-SSIG-NOR TO EDWARD D. lVIOENG, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ELECTROTYPE-CASTS AND TYPEFOR1VIS.

Application filed .ranuary aa, 1913.

To alti/hom t m ay/ concern Be it known that I, EDWARD C. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Electrotype-Casts and Type-Forms, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning electrotype casts and type forms rlhe more common practice now prevailing is to clean these cast forms by hand,-

scrubbing brushes being employed and kerosene being used asa wash.

The object of the present invention is toVIV provide a power operated machine for accomplishing the scrubbing and the subsequent cleansing of the cast or form to remove the kerosene and any dirt which may not have been carried away in the scrubbing operation.

The invention consists of a machine as hereinafter described, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the machine',

artly in section and partly in elevation; F ig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail transverse Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a detail plan view as seen from the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The machine is provided with a supporting frame of any suitable form, and, as shown, comprising the uprights 10, 11, longitudinal braces l2, and transverse members 13, 14. Upon this frame there is mounted a body portion consisting of two tank secextensions there is mounted a cover plate 21l to which are hinged side doors 22, 23, thereby providing a housing for the brushes and their carrier. A cross-head 24 is supported within this housing by means of adjusting Specification of Letters Patent.

'naled in suitable brackets Patented Sept. 7, 1915. serial no. 743,840;

screws 25, 26, rotatably supported in and depending from the cover plate 21. These screws are provided at their upper ends with beveled gears 27, 28, coperating with similar gears 29, 30, fixed upon a shaft 31 journaled in brackets 32, 33, rising from the cover plate 21, this shaft being provided with a hand wheel 34 by which it may be turned for the purpose of rotating the screws 25, 26, and thereby vertically adjusting the cross-head 24.

A pluralityof brushes, as 35, 36, 'as many being employed as may be necessary, are clamped to a reciprocating carrier 37 secured to the cross-head 24 by means of clamping gibs, as 38, 39, between which it is free to slide transversely of the housing.

A pitman 40 is attached to the carrier 37 and to a walking beam 41 pivoted to a bracket 42 secured to the side wall of the machine. A pitman 43, attached at one end to the lower end of the walk'ng beam 41, has its opposite end formed as the strap 44 of an eccentric 45. The eccentric is mounted upon a shaft 46, journaled in suitable brackets depending from the body of the machine, and is driven from a suitable motor, as represented at 47, through a train 0f gears 48, 49, 50 and 5l.

A cast or type form, represented at X, '1s carried under the brushes-by means of a chain 52 provided with a push lug 53, and running over sprocket wheels 54, 55, mounted on shafts journaled within the body of the machine and located within the tank 15. This chain is driven by means of a sprocket chain 56, turning over a wheel mounted on the same shaft with the wheel 55, and a sprocket wheel mounted on the shaft 57 jourdepending from the body of the machine and carrying a worm wheel 58 meshing with a worm 59 on the shaft 46. The article to be operated upon is supported, as it travels through the tank 15, on a pair of central bars 60, 61, and a pair of laterally'adjustable bars 62, 63, all of these bars being mounted upon suitable cross-bars 64, 65, located within the tank 15.

The door 22 is prolonged laterally to form a cover 66 for the tank 15, and when a cast or form is inserted into lthe machine this cover is raised.

The cleansing fluid, usually kerosene, is

pipe, such as 67, here shown as located within the housing 20, and provided with a number of lateral apertures to permit the liquid to be discharged as a spray, and preferably some of these apertures are so positioned as to discharge upon the cross-head 24, thereby lubricating the ways of the brush carrier.

After passing under the brushes the article to be cleansed enters the tank 16 and is advanced therethrough by means of a number of rollers, as 68, 69, 70, 71, 7 2, 73, which are driven from a sprocket wheel 74 mount; ed upon the shaft with the wheel 55, power being 'transmitted from roller to roller by means of suitable sprocket chains, as shown.

Cleansing fluid is discharged upon the cast or form as it advances through the tank 16, from a suitable pipe or pipes located within the tank, and for their accommodation the cover 75 of the tank is provided with an upstanding housing 76. There may be used for cleansing the plate steam, water or air, or any one or two ot these fluids, or, indeed. any other ,fluid which may be deemed serviceable; or the impurities may be removed by suction. To this end there is shown four pipes 77 78, 79, 80. A desirable method of cleaning consists in discharging steam upon the advancing cast or form, as through lateral orifices in the pi ie. 77, flooding it with water from the pipe 8. and drying it by a blast of air from the pipe 79. The jets of steam and water should be directed backwardly upon the plate, the air jets following it as it recedes from the pipes. The pipe 80 may be a vacuum pipe, and when used the other pipes will be idle.

The partition 17 separating the tanks 15, 16, is sufficiently low to provide for t e passage of the cast or form. The openi g between the top of this partition and the top of the tanks should be closed during the recleaning operation, and for this purpose there is provided a gate 81 which is normally open, being carried by a lever 82 which is drawn downward by a spring 83, a spring 84 being provided for drawing the gate laterally toward the partition. The free end of the lever 82 is inclined upwardly, as shown at 85, and normally projects into the path of the article to be operated upon, and is so positioned as to be depressed by the latter as soon as it has passed entirely within the tank 16, thereby closing the gate 81. A door 86 is provided at the rear end of the machine to permit the withdrawal of the article after cleansing. A drain pipe 87 leads from the tank 15. and a drain pipe 88 leads from the tank 16, both discharging into a tank 89 which overflows into a tank 90. All dirt and particles of heavy material which may be removed from the cast or form will be received and retained within the tank 89. The kerosene discharged from the tank 15 being lighter than the water discharged from the tank 16, will overflow into the tank 90 and will be sufiiciently clean to be used again. The tank 89 is provided with a drain pipe 91, andthe tank 90 with a drain pipe 92.

The brushes may be of any suitable material, and may be advanced so as to bear upon the article to be cleaned with any desired pressure." The gibs securing them to the carrier are easily removed to permit changes of the brushes.

I cla-im as my invention- 1. .In a machine of the class described, in combination, 'a pair of tanks, plate carrying means extending through both tanks, a gate for closing the second tank and being automatically closable by a plate mounted on,

the carrying means, means for discharging fluid into both tanks, reciprocating brushes located in the first of the two tanks, and power mechanism for actuating the brushes and thc plate carrying means.

Q. In a. machine of the class described, in

` combination, a pair of tanks, plate carrying means extending through both tanks, a gate for closing the second tank and being automatically closable by a plate mounted on the carrying means, means for discharging fluid into both tanks, reciprocating brushes located in the first of the two tanks, means for adjustably supporting the brushes, and power mechanism for actuating the brushes and the plate carrying means.

3. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a pair of tanks, plate carrying means extending through both tanks, a gate for closing the second tank and being automatically closable as a plate mounted on the carrying means enters the second of the two named tanks, means for discharging fluid into both tanks, reciprocating brushes located in the first of the two tanks, and power mechanism for actuating the brushes and the plate carrying means.

4. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means for scrubbing a cast or type form, a. tank for receiving the cast or type form from the scrubbing means, a gate for closing the port of entry to the tank, means for automatically closing the gate as the cast or type form enters the tank, and means for delivering a fluid upon the cast or type form within the tank.

EDWARD C. 'WILLIAMS VitneSses Louis K. GILLsoN, E. M. KLATCHER. 

